Improved armor vs. improved weapons.

Above German army's newest KF51 Panther will replace Leopard 2 main battle tanks. (Image: Bloomberg.com)

Race in the military world is tough. The Ukrainian conflict showed that the tanks need new or powerful air defense against drones. Drones are causing trouble for tanks but developers are creating tanks equipped with powerful AA guns and missiles used against tactical aircraft, helicopters, and drones. 

New anti-aircraft weapons are turning traditional hunter-killer aircraft and helicopters into history. The iconic A-10 "Thunderbolt" and helicopters are waiting for their successors. Those tilt-rotor helicopters and supersonic stealth aircraft can also use depleted uranium ammunition in their cannons. And the survivability of those systems is improved. 

Smart missiles like Javelins are also waiting for their successors. Those successors can destroy both low observable targets like tanks and aerial systems. The modern tanks' AI-based systems make them capable to locate antitank crews and other tanks more effectively than ever before. And those tanks can also destroy drones and incoming missiles by using counter-weapons like the Israeli Trophy. 

Weapons like ground-launched small-diameter bombs (GSLDB:s) make it possible to destroy individual vehicles from long range. The highly accurate missiles can hit precisely things like tanks hatches from long distances. And then there is also developed CIWS (Close-In Weapon Systems) that can destroy incoming missiles.

Things like machine cannons and electromagnetic weapons are effective tools against drones. But the new era of antitank missiles and weapons is already under design. And then the researchers made new and more effective tanks and armor. 

Traditional passive steel armor base is tough material. That should resist the grenades. But the new nanotechnical armor consists of springs that absorb shock. The tanks might already have systems like an invisibility cloak that makes them invisible to the human eye. The engine noise and other infrared signatures are made extremely low. And those things are making tanks hard to detect. 

Above HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank ammunition) 1: Aerodynamic cover; 2: Air-filled cavity; 3: Conical liner; 4: Detonator; 5: Explosive; 6: Piezo-electric trigger

Active protection systems like anti-missile guns and microwave systems that mission is to destroy Javelin-type missiles are already in use. Artificial intelligence makes tanks more deadly than ever before. Guided ammunition makes it possible that tanks can destroy targets without straight visibility. And tanks also have quadcopters that can use in target designation missions. But those drones can drop grenades against snipers and antitank personnel. 

Javelin-type missiles are image-guided. They are flying to their targets by using image compiling. And the only thing that Javelin needs is the image of the target. The flight profile of the missile can pre-adjust. And that means if the tank has reactive armor. That missile can choose the high fly path. Javelin uses tandem warheads. And that means traditional reactive armor is not very effective against that missile. 

Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb or GLSDB

But ammunition development is very fast. And there are three main types of warheads. 

1) HEAT or hollow warhead. That weapon creates a supersonic jet that will penetrate the armor. In modern warfare, fast-shooting automatic canons can soot multiple HEAT or other antitank ammunition in seconds. The small caliber 20-30 mm. automatic cannons can use depleted uranium ammunition that is effective against tanks. 

2) HESH ammunition. That ammunition uses soft explosive which tunnels the shockwave through armor. That ammunition can use against reactive armor. The HESH ammunition can detonate protective explosion plates from other anti-tank ammunition. Modern composite armor protects tank crew against HESH ammunition because there is little space between armor plates. 

3) Sabot or flechette. That extremely thin tungsten arrow uses kinetic energy for penetrating armor. Some of that sabot ammunition have uranium heads that should increase their power. 

3b) The hybrid warhead. In that case, the sabot ammunition has put the mercury or some other liquid or sub-flechette. When that ammunition hits to armor the explosive behind that thing pushes that liquid or sub-ammunition forward. 

Maybe things like 50-caliber rifles have GPS-homing ammunition in the future. In that case, the drone will mark the position of the target. And then the shooter shoots that guided rifle bullet. 

But as I wrote earlier the armor is also advancing. And the fact is this. Tank is the kind of battlefield along with artillery if those systems are modern. If the tank is not modern that thing costs very much. Modern systems also deliver and share information through the limits of the military branch. 

And the next-generation systems are telling if the grenades that tanks shoot are hitting targets. So the grenades of tomorrow have nose cameras. And they are far more advanced than grenades that were used in WWII. 

GPS-homing ammunition is becoming more common than we even think. There is a possibility that also some rifles like .50 BMG could use GPS-guided ammunition in tomorrow's battlefield. Also, robots are turning more commonly. 

But then the developers are making some new things. Like mounting EMP weapons in tanks. There is also the possibility that in the future the opponents of the wars are destroying things like GPS satellites more often because those satellites play a key role in targeting systems. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-15/germany-kf51-panther-rheinmetall-unveils-new-tanks-to-replace-leopard-2

https://www.saab.com/products/ground-launched-small-diameter-bomb-glsdb

CIWS-system

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close-in_weapon_system

Depleted Uranium

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium

HEAT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-explosive_anti-tank

HESH

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-explosive_squash_head

Javelin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FGM-148_Javelin

KF51 Panther

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_KF51

Reactive armor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_armour

Sabot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabot_(firearms)

Trophy-system

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophy_(countermeasure)